Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-06

Now that the gold was returned,
not a man was willing, under the
circumstances, to claim his own. Big Dan
took advantage, in this state Of affairs, to
make n proposition. He proposed that
they donate the bag of gold to Eben and
Minola, as a wedding gift, Is they married.
Tho proposition met with warm and immc-
aiate approval from all present. On the
motion of Dilsey, Big Dan was. elected to
act as treasurer, until the nuptial occasion
to which they looked forward, regardless Of
the fact that the young folks had not set
tied matters between themselves yet.
Meanwhile Eben and Minola were hast
ening down the rocky gulcht to the little
cabin, where death held close, funremittins
watch over the bedside of the gambler.
The young folks exchanged but few
words. But Eben was carefully attentive
in assisting his pretty companion over
brooks and rocks that intercepted their
path. Although the girls thoughts were
with her dying father, she could not help
noticing and feeling grateful Tor the kind
attentions shown her by her manly escort.
Eben and Niinola had met SC teral times
on the mountain, near the cabin occupied
by Rhodes and his daughter.
After his own illness had passed hwav,
leaving him weak and miserable, Eb4n had
frequently walked from the gulch to secure
the benefit of exercise. Once, while raulb-
ling on the mountain above the gulch, he
had grown faint and had sat down on a log,
tao weak to move. In his helpless CON
dition, Minola had found him. She had
brought water, pure as her own true heart,
from the gushing mountain spring near by,
and gave to him to drink and battle his
brow. The kind decd aided her beauty in
captivating tho young mans heart. They
had met afterwards, and although Minola
always spoke, Eben was too honorable 10
take advantage of the girls kindness, by
intruding his company upon her. Re-
specting her motherless condition, and
having no acquaintance with the danditied
gambler, young Gcodner had never pre-
sumed to call at The cabin among the cedars
of Jim Ned Gulcll.
When the young people reached the
cabin, they found Philip Rhodes sleeping
quietly on his bed, which occupied one
corner of the small room, while Mrs. Dill
sey, the sa~loon-keeper's good-heerted but
rough Irish wife, sat by the beds head,
watching the gambler whose hours in this
world were numbered.
Minola and her escort entered quietly at
a gesture from Mrs. Dilsey. The girl
motioned Eban to take a seat by the VIM
/ dow {brOrrh ,vbich Tho s~koy;oo+;,r f.o
GRANGE of early spring blossoms came
constantly waited up on the wings Of the
gentle west wind from the gulch below.
Then she stole Oh tiptoes to the side of
the bed and gazed with such a sad mixture
of tender love and deep sorrow upon her
erring, sleeping parent, that the sympa-
thetic Irish woman had to turn her head
away to restrain the tears, and Eben felt
obliged to look steadily out of the window,
at the cedar boushs responding to the
winds soft caress.
Philip Rhodes had had many attacks of
heart disease before. The doctor he had
employed in Denver had told him that
the next must surely prove fatal. So the
gambler knew his time to shake off this
mortal coil was come.
Three days he fingered, and rs brain
fever had also settled upon him, his CLEANS
OF consciousness We're only now and then,
and very brief. During such time, how
ever, he rarely spoke o word, but fixed his
eyes upon his child with a world of love for
her.
Big Dan and others of the miners came
to the cabin to render what services they
might to him who had so recently wronged
them. The approach of death, and genu-
inc feeling for Minola, made those robust
men of Jim Ned Gulch, truly kind; and
the grief laden girl fully appreciated their
numerous acts Of goodheartedness, OIL
though she said little about it.
The dying gambler would allow no one
to minister TO his wants except his daugh-
ter and Eben. He mad taken q strong
fancy to Eben from the first, md the
gentleness and %tireless attention which the
young man bestowed upon the sufferer
did not fail to bear fair fruits in Minola's
grateful heart, for him, a fact the brave
Jim Nedders were quick to %foresee.
Philip Rhodes last words, as Minola
supported his head, were:
Dearest, while you have not approved
of my name Of living. you have always
been a dutiful daughter. God reward you
with good friends to care for you when I
am gone. Forgive your sinful father,
Minola. nov close a wretchedly wasted
life" and he expired almost Immediately.
Sad words with which to close this life.
Poor consolation to leave a darling child.
What good record of years we'll lived could
he carry with him to his Maker? Alas,
none.
Near the brook which sparkles down Jim
Ned Gulch, where the zephyrs sport all
day among the long-1eaved ferns and wild
flowers, sleeps Philip Rhodes, u simple
white slab with name and date of bilth and
death to mark the lonely spot, and visited
now by the wild birds alone.
Far away on the Pacific coast lives
Eben Goodner, the kind husband of
Minola, an energetic and successful bust
ness man, who enjoys the esteem of his
neighbors, chief among whom is Big Dan,
with u noble wife and circle of healthy
1 4 H. ---